Had the Buffalo Sabres sat back at 2-2 in the third period and crossed their fingers for a shootout tonight, you couldn’t have blamed them.

Of course, Buffalo took advantage of a power play and then hung on for the 3-2 home over the Bruins, but without Boston’s shootout specialist Tyler Seguin in the lineup the Sabres, already 3-0 in shootouts this year, would’ve been heavily favored in the post-overtime spectacle.

Starting the night without their best shootout weapon, however, was far from the biggest problem with the Bruins’ decision to scratch the 2010 No. 2 overall pick.

It might easier to stomach the rookie sitting in the press box if the Bruins actually had a legitimate replacement waiting to fill in for the speedster. Daniel Paille was a serviceable fourth-liner and penalty-killer last season. This year, he’s obviously not handling the long stretches of healthy scratches as well as Boston might have hoped. Paille has often looked a step slow skating or an inch off with his passes when given a game sweater. Sure he made a couple nifty passes and was solid defensively last Saturday against Philadelphia. But that shouldn’t have been enough to convince head coach Claude Julien to sit Seguin again.

Seguin struggled plenty when he was skating at center for most of the season’s first two months. Somehow, none of his giveaways or blown coverages in the defensive zone directly cost the Bruins a game. Marc Savard’s return to the lineup brought an opportunity to revert to Plan A and shift Seguin back out to the wing full-time.

Admittedly, the Seguin-Savard-Michael Ryder line has been a work in progress. But look at what you have. A rookie making the shift out to wing in the NHL for the first time, a player coming off a six-month absence with post-concussion syndrome, and an inconsistent veteran winger who’s extremely reliant on his linemates to clear him some room and set him up.

So how many games do you give them to jell? Well, their run was stopped at four games by Seguin’s flu-like symptoms Saturday. That line combination stayed in mothballs again tonight with Seguin on the sidelines as a healthy scratch in Buffalo. It’d be fine if the Bruins could afford to sit Seguin because they’re overflowing with offensive talent. We know that they’re not. And now they’ve scored three goals in their last two games.

Remember, despite his struggles and an average ice time of just 12:34 (only Shawn Thornton plays less among regular Bruins forwards), Seguin has recorded five goals and added five assists. Maybe that limited ice time has kept Seguin from becoming a liability down the stretch of some games, but at the same time there’s so much untapped potential in him that the Bruins need – especially when facing last year’s Vezina Trophy-winner.

Boston generated some offense, including 34 shots on net, tonight. But Ryder scored his goal on the power play and at even strength that line looked lost again. Neither Savard nor Paille managed to get a shot on net. Paille finished with just 10:43 of ice time, which includes 1:04 of shorthanded time. If the only player you have to replace Seguin with is a guy you can’t even give as little ice time as the rookie would usually log, that’s a sign you have to keep on with your intentions to have Seguin learn on the job and under fire.

If Seguin gets back in against Montreal Thursday or a game or two down the road, it might behoove Julien to find another line for him in order to not have a trio that’s handicapped by all the reasons mentioned above. Savard might benefit from getting back with his old running mate Milan Lucic, and Ryder might want more than just the couple shifts he took tonight with his old pivot David Krejci. Seguin could probably also benefit from the bulk of Lucic on an opposite wing or the vision of Krejci in the middle.

If Julien keeps Seguin with Ryder and Savard though, it might still work out. Four games was not a long enough trial for that trio. And 29 games into the schedule is too soon to be so frustrated with Seguin that you replace him with subpar Daniel Paille.

Down the road, this time off might benefit Seguin. But in the here and now, which should be what matters most, it doesn’t work in the Bruins’ favor — in a shootout or before.

[…] I made my opinion on the Seguin benching very clear last night, and won’t waver from it. Instead, I use tonight’s one-assist, two-shot-on-goal performance by the Bruins rookie to further prove my point. […]

good article. great discussion. got to hope it was just Paille getting shopped. also, I’m not sure playing Campbell every night just to keep the boogie man away is worth it. maybe:
LUC/SAV/HOR
MAR/KRE/RYD
SEG/BER/REC
CAR/WHE/THOR
CHA/FER
SEI/KAM
BOY/MCQ
THOM/RAS

Andrew,
You’re right Caron is a better player in every way. problem is, he’s too important in our future plans to make him a healthy scratch every game; he too needs to develop whether in an NHL or AHL lineup.

GR90. I’m with you 100%. Julien has us playing cautious and I can’t stand watching that. No one seems to want to take any chances, offensively, and the guys that do (like Savvy) end up trying to do too much and make poor decisions.

We should be able to take it to most of the teams in the league, yet I find we’re happy letting them dictate the tone, while we counter-punch. Sure by the third we usually expose their schemes but by then we’re either in a life and death battle or trying to get back into the game. What happened to the B’s team earlier in the season that took the 1-0 lead in the first and never looked back?

Anyways, I also find it extremely annoying that Julien never makes any changes to his plan, never shortens his bench, rarely alters his lines, etc, etc, then decides to sit Seguin for Paille?! Granted I also remember the Kessel scratch being huge for his progression and do believe Seguin could use a couple of games to study from the pressbox here and there, but of all the changes Julien could decide to make, this was the one?!
I’m starting to tire of our system a bit. It shouldn’t be everything, just a template to follow. We aren’t the Bruins of a couple years back, we have the offensive capabilities now. Let them flourish a bit. I think risking one more goal against/game will provide 2 more in our favour. I know that’s a very laymen’s analogy, but it does make a point I think.

Put Caron back in there and give Paille away for a late-round/conditional pick or something (I’m sure you can pull another one over on ol’ friend Brian Burke in Toronto.) Caron is an upgrade in every way but experience, and at this point the B’s have to start showing some more faith in their youngsters.

MCK – I know it seems radical, but Boston’s shortcomings are related to offense, not defense. While Wheeler has struggled in the dot, he proved to be a more than capable ‘defensive centerman’ during his short stint in the middle. If you ask me, he was head and shoulders a better player in the middle than he has been on the wing. On the other hand – Bergeron has shined when on the wing, and with Krecji and Seguin, he could play a role he’s well equipped for.

Its a long season, and we’re playing for April and May – not for any one game in December or January. I’d like to see CJ try this for a solid 3 game span to see what comes.

With two very strong top lines (instead of 1 top line with 2 very average ones) I expect we’d see an increase in offensive pressure without a drop in D.

Paille – passes bounce of his stick further than Rask’s kick saves. No line this guy skates on has any possibility of lighting the lamp. To line him next to Savard is such a waste of talent and mis-match of skill sets its ridiculous.

This team must play D-first. They don’t have the a slick skill set club. They are rarely in the position of having a sizeable offensive talent advantage over opponents. This isn’t WA, its not Detroit, its not Tampa.

I agree with GR90. It’s painful to watch this offense play. For years I only watch B’s games on TV. Lately I’ve been watching other games on VS. and the NHL Network. It’s shocking how bad the B’s look when comparing their offensive game with everyone else. If you were the GM what would you do? Hire a “offensive coordinator” and risk pissing of the head coach?

A lot of people are calling for Claude’s head because of his ineptitude when it comes to formulating offensive strategy. I love how Claude formulates things on the defensive end… but he needs HELP. Players like Seguin can’t flourish in a system where there is an ineffective breakout and a poorly-constructed strategy in the offensive zone. The dump-and-chase dosen’t work with a high 2-1-2 forecheck; how can the B’s even have a chance to get the puck when they don’t apply the slightest bit of pressure? Also, there’s a lack of movement in the O-zone… running a cycle in the corner, getting the puck to the point, and then sending it back down for another cycle doesn’t constitute a sound offensive plan. They need to spread the ice more occassionally… and run plays that send guys like Horton and Seguin and Ryder cutting through the high slot to create chances.

I watch the highlights from every game, every day on NHL.com… and by comparison, the B’s offense is one of the poorest spectacles in the league. For example, Jeff Skinner has more points on a bottom-tier team this year than every Bruin except Horton and Lucic… think about it. Maybe Claude should give a call down to Joe Sacco in Denver to get lessons on how to get the flippin puck in the flippin net.

I think Julien feels like he can get more out of Seguinm, and he felt he had to make the point by sitting him. Yes Paille is a poor replacement, but Seguin is arguably the Bruin with the most potential for stardom, and therefore the most important to properly develop. If Julien feels like this will get the effort needed from Seguin, let’s see if it works. I’d like to see Seguin back tonight in a big game scenario against the Canadiens, but again, I will give the benefit of the doubt to Claude for now. We’ll probably thank him later.

It is what it is. Who knows, this may have been part of the plan all along. I doubt it, but you never know. He’s a young kid, this sort of thing can help, not that I think he’s done anything to really warrant it. And yes, if they are going to sit him, his replacement should not carry the “stonehands” nickname.

Anyone else think that Savard has to simplify his game right now? Yes, I realize that he’s been out for a long while, but that serves as even more of a reason for Savard to simplify. These behind the back, through the legs, blind passes have to stop. Especially two feet inside the attacking blue line! If you’re not 100% on top of your game and meshing with your linemates; and how could he be if his line changes every three games, then simple is the way to go.
His one shift with Horts and Looch was pretty electrical though last night, resulting with Z doing his best Quasimodo impression ringing the post, like it was a church bell.

Paille is worthless to this team. Seguin better be in the lineup from here on. And I would bring Caron back up and sit Wheeler too. When was the last time you say Wheeler at least get physical with someone??? I’m not talking about fighting. Just show some passion. This guy has to go.

do you remember kessel as a scratch in the playoffs, after that he played well
today we have to much unmotivated players in the lineup, (wheeler, paille and ryder) and over players which have no luck, bergeron hit the post in the final minute, miller´s great save on horton´s blast and two bad calls, lucic boarding and thornton goalie interference

you can´t trust your luck but you can scratch unmotivated bad playing wingers
i want to see more seguin and less paille and wheeler!

I feel every time i see Tyler Seguin hit the ice, the worst luck in NHL history jump’s on the ice with him. When ever he is out there even if he doesn’t touch the puck once there is missed passes, bad plays by others , bouncing pucks, lucky bounces for the other team. I truly believed at this point this kid is cursed, no other way can I explain his amount of skill and lack of production. Seriously this kid doesn’t make that many mistakes but his line’s never has success .

The problem is that you are looking at this as if it’s a video game. In real life real people have real issues. We aren’t privy to most of what goes on behind the scenes. Who knows why they sat Seguin? I don’t see how it makes sense to second guess the coach when you don’t know the whole story.

Second point: just because the team is in a bit of a scoring drought doesn’t mean somehow their talent all went away. I believe that to say the B’s, “aren’t overflowing with offensive talent” is either inaccurate or fickle (take your pick). They have plenty of offensive talent. But there’s a lot more to hockey than a simple talent formula.